Mariko Bird

Ova Ova 3, 2013

Stoneware

10"h x 7.5"w x 8"d

$500

A mountain ridge, clouds, the bark of trees, sea creatures, a rock wall, ripples on the lake, skyscrapers and Romanesque buildings – these are just a few of the things that intrigue me. I try to recreate my impressions of them in clay, but at the same time being careful not simply to imitate them. I explore and experiment with form, texture and color to come up with something that is my own. I hand-build all of my work, and plan to continue to create pieces that have an organic feel or architectural elements. It is exciting and humbling at the same time to realize that there are infinite possibilities in working with clay.

Caroline Blackburn

No. 262, 2014

Clay, High-Fire

20"h x 12"w x 12"d

$500

Caroline Blackburn, based in Los Angeles creates vessels that explore her interest in abstract painting, architecture, fashion, and nature. Trained as a painter her work focuses on bringing a freshness and immediacy to each piece through color, form, surface, and texture. Every work is highly considered whether it is thrown on a wheel, hand built, or a combination of both techniques.

Glazes perform at a level that engages the viewer in an abstract skin generated through the glazing process. She juxtaposes color, texture, and drawing using a variety of materials to accomplish a painterly surface including ceramic pencil, slip, oxide, or glaze creating a sublime effect, reflecting phenomenon found in nature. Color plays a significant role in the work.

Caroline has developed glazes that are versatile whether used opaquely, transparently or ones that create cratering or pitting on the surface. When she glazes a work she approaches it as a canvas. She may first apply a slip, draw on the work with a ceramic pencil, and then hand-paint each piece with a variety of brushes to accomplish a painterly effect.

While investigating an interest in plasticity the work produces a continual shift between surface, texture, color, and object. Each vessel provides a contemporary sense of life that is very personal and universal at the same time. Caroline received a MFA from Art Center College of Design and a BFA from Boston College.

Nubia Bonilla

Eusebia y las Hijas de Don Antonio, 2014

Saggar

27"h x 13"w x 7"d  $1,225

As an anthropologist and visual artist, my field work in ergological folklore took me to different groups of potters not only in my country but also in Chile, Mexico and Haiti. I was affected by the same simple vessels that were used in everyday life and for religious rituals. Their use of Raku, Saggar, Barrel and Pit firing fascinated me. Their vessels were more than just pots, they told stories, and they were timeless and universal.

I have always derived pleasure from creating something with my hands; my work derives from my passion with clay, the simple forms, the playful parts, the subtle balance and contrasts in color and texture. My ceramics contain a short history through their creation and production process, every piece has its own origin and evolution, its own story full of symbols and contrasts.

My long trajectory in the investigation of indo-Afro-American groups has given her the opportunity to develop my unique style in the design of my artwork.

Nubia Bonilla

Carabali Family, 2013

Saggar

24"h x 5"w x 5.5"d  NFS

As an anthropologist and visual artist, my field work in ergological folklore took me to different groups of potters not only in my country but also in Chile, Mexico and Haiti. I was affected by the same simple vessels that were used in everyday life and for religious rituals. Their use of Raku, Saggar, Barrel and Pit firing fascinated me. Their vessels were more than just pots, they told stories, and they were timeless and universal.

I have always derived pleasure from creating something with my hands; my work derives from my passion with clay, the simple forms, the playful parts, the subtle balance and contrasts in color and texture. My ceramics contain a short history through their creation and production process, every piece has its own origin and evolution, its own story full of symbols and contrasts.

My long trajectory in the investigation of indo-Afro-American groups has given her the opportunity to develop my unique style in the design of my artwork.

Nubia Bonilla

You and Me, 2014

Terra Sigillata

17"h x 17"w x 8"d$800

As an anthropologist and visual artist, my field work in ergological folklore took me to different groups of potters not only in my country but also in Chile, Mexico and Haiti. I was affected by the same simple vessels that were used in everyday life and for religious rituals. Their use of Raku, Saggar, Barrel and Pit firing fascinated me. Their vessels were more than just pots, they told stories, and they were timeless and universal.

I have always derived pleasure from creating something with my hands; my work derives from my passion with clay, the simple forms, the playful parts, the subtle balance and contrasts in color and texture. My ceramics contain a short history through their creation and production process, every piece has its own origin and evolution, its own story full of symbols and contrasts.

My long trajectory in the investigation of indo-Afro-American groups has given her the opportunity to develop my unique style in the design of my artwork.

Monica Chapon

Scrolls, 2012

Porcelain & Glaze

8"h x 4"w x 4"d

$125

The act of making work and the final product are both equally important aspects of my art. I enjoy slow processes which allow me to meditate and get lost in my thoughts through the tedium while my hands stay busy and moving. My ceramic works typically portray a more abstract approach of processing emotions. The “scroll” or tubular pieces I create are dealing with the themes of loss, fragility and letting go, as well as strength and rebuilding. These pieces were created after witnessing the death of somebody in my life as a way of dealing with that sense of loss. The organic inner-skeleton of these pieces are burnt out and turned to ash in the kiln. Left behind is a hollow and fragile shell of porcelain, which is significant in capturing that moment where that inner essence or “soul” is lost. In these pieces, the process becomes the product.

Madeleine Graves

Cell Phone Girl, 2014

4"h x 11"w x 3.75"d

$437.50

I enjoy the process of working with clay to create vessels, then decorating these forms with patterns that I design and hand cut. The original inspiration for my designs was the Hawaiian Quilt patterns which are based on the flowers and plants of Hawaii. In recent years I’ve looked to both international designs and nature for inspiration to create patterns. The result I strive for is to make a piece that is both beautiful and functional.

Madeleine Graves

Koa Bowl, 2014

3.25"h x 11.5"w x 3"d

$437.50

I enjoy the process of working with clay to create vessels, then decorating these forms with patterns that I design and hand cut. The original inspiration for my designs was the Hawaiian Quilt patterns which are based on the flowers and plants of Hawaii. In recent years I’ve looked to both international designs and nature for inspiration to create patterns. The result I strive for is to make a piece that is both beautiful and functional.

Mark Hendrickson

Untitled, 2014

High Fired Ceramic

9"h x 9"w x 7"d

$375

My hope is that the individual senses a blend of both the antiquated as well as the contemporary while viewing my work.

Stephen Horn

Twisted, Cut, Folded, Dented Vessel, 2012

Stoneware

2"h x 5"w x 4"d

$1,250

In 1974, one of my professors at Cal State Fullerton required those of us in his graduate seminar to write a personal statement about their artistic philosophy. I did not keep a copy of mine, and all that I can remember is my last line, a quotation from Dante: “Do as the Divine: create.” At the time I was not conscious of what I (or Dante) meant by that, but it was an urge that I deeply felt. Forty years later, the meaning is clearer.

It’s about doing what comes naturally, about playing, about potential—following thoughts and impulses,seeing what happens if I try this or that, and taking a ride to somewhere unknown. It’s about learning how to stand out of the way and let the process take over. It’s a journey with no destination that brings the soul near.

I would never have imagined that I would be making the things that I make. George Ohr, the Biloxi potter,wrote at the turn of the century: “Clay follows the fingers and the fingers follow the mind.” I’m happy that I have worked and lived long enough to develop the skills needed to create these objects. And the neurons are still firing too.

Stephen Horn

Mad Potter Hat, 2012

Stoneware, Toner Transfer Print

12"h x 5"w x 5"d

$750

In 1974, one of my professors at Cal State Fullerton required those of us in his graduate seminar to write a personal statement about their artistic philosophy. I did not keep a copy of mine, and all that I can remember is my last line, a quotation from Dante: “Do as the Divine: create.” At the time I was not conscious of what I (or Dante) meant by that, but it was an urge that I deeply felt. Forty years later, the meaning is clearer.

It’s about doing what comes naturally, about playing, about potential-following thoughts and impulses,seeing what happens if I try this or that, and taking a ride to somewhere unknown. It’s about learning how to stand out of the way and let the process take over. It’s a journey with no destination that brings the soul near.

I would never have imagined that I would be making the things that I make. George Ohr, the Biloxi potter,wrote at the turn of the century: “Clay follows the fingers and the fingers follow the mind.” I’m happy that I have worked and lived long enough to develop the skills needed to create these objects. And the neurons are still firing too.

Francisco "Pancho" Jiménez

Passage, 2012

Ceramic

10"h x 16"w x 9"d

$968.75

I am intrigued by the mystery of meaning that I find in ancient art, much of it in ruins, found in Mexico or other places in the world. In my art I attempt to capture that mystery, that “eternal presence” of ancient art forms, which elicit particular emotions in me that may be universal and timeless. My intention is to create art forms that bring the eternal presence of the past to the present, to inspire reflection on contemporary time and place.

Although my work takes different forms (small table top constructions, tall columns, large wall hangings or oversized heads) my intentions remain a constant. The catalyst that propels my work to take numerous forms is my desire to explore my primary medium, clay, in varied and technically challenging formats. My use of organic and geometric motifs is rooted in my belief that these forms are a universal language that is timeless-- linking the past and the future and cutting across cultures.

Francisco "Pancho" Jiménez

Nucleus, 2013

Ceramic

17"h x 17"w x 1"d

$468.75

I am intrigued by the mystery of meaning that I find in ancient art, much of it in ruins, found in Mexico or other places in the world. In my art I attempt to capture that mystery, that “eternal presence” of ancient art forms, which elicit particular emotions in me that may be universal and timeless. My intention is to create art forms that bring the eternal presence of the past to the present, to inspire reflection on contemporary time and place.

Although my work takes different forms (small table top constructions, tall columns, large wall hangings or oversized heads) my intentions remain a constant. The catalyst that propels my work to take numerous forms is my desire to explore my primary medium, clay, in varied and technically challenging formats. My use of organic and geometric motifs is rooted in my belief that these forms are a universal language that is timeless-- linking the past and the future and cutting across cultures.

Gina Lawson Egan

Totem, 2013

38"h x 19"w x 19"d

$3,750

I make sculpture to express my thoughts about life. The more universal the elements the more I use them. The narrative that I create by adding these elements together is open for interpretation. Although I may see the sculpture in a certain light, the viewer may have another point of view and this is good.

I love working in red clay because of its color and mention to the earth. Sky and water are referenced by the use of turquoise and shades of blue. Brighter colors describe other surfaces of the sculptures that I subdue with more earth tones. I use textures and the marks from my hands to build a rich surface and give the sculptures a fossil quality that adds to the narrative.

I enjoy the freedom I have when I am making choices and working in clay. A good day in my studio happens when I am in succinct with my decisions. I work in series so that I can explore more possibilities with one idea and not feel I need to get it right with just one piece. Trial and error and a lot of looking are a big part of my routine.

Recently, I have been using animal forms in addition to the human faces in my work. Consequently, these sculptures are more playful and odd depending on the animal I have chosen. I think of these animals as personalities that we know and identify with.

Gina Lawson Egan

Krazy Wabbit, 2013

23"h x 13"w x 17.5"d

$1,250

I make sculpture to express my thoughts about life. The more universal the elements the more I use them. The narrative that I create by adding these elements together is open for interpretation. Although I may see the sculpture in a certain light, the viewer may have another point of view and this is good.

I love working in red clay because of its color and mention to the earth. Sky and water are referenced by the use of turquoise and shades of blue. Brighter colors describe other surfaces of the sculptures that I subdue with more earth tones. I use textures and the marks from my hands to build a rich surface and give the sculptures a fossil quality that adds to the narrative.

I enjoy the freedom I have when I am making choices and working in clay. A good day in my studio happens when I am in succinct with my decisions. I work in series so that I can explore more possibilities with one idea and not feel I need to get it right with just one piece. Trial and error and a lot of looking are a big part of my routine.

Recently, I have been using animal forms in addition to the human faces in my work. Consequently, these sculptures are more playful and odd depending on the animal I have chosen. I think of these animals as personalities that we know and identify with.

Tiffany Ma

An Orchestrated Comfort, 2014

Mixed Media (Clay, Wire, Ink, etc.)

84"h x 120"w x 108"d

$7,500

An Orchestrated Comfort is an installation of an imaginary environment that has been created through the use of various media. The doll-like house is meticulously constructed by the artist. Filled with memories, dreams and longings, it explores the entanglement of imagination and the subtle need of control within it.

Through this exploration, imagination becomes parallel with reality and the lack of control over the real is amended by the manipulation of the imagined.

Amiko Matsuo & Brad Monsma

Pyrometrics, 2014

Clay, Signs

27"h x 13"w x 13"d

$625 ea., with sign, + $250

Pyrometric is an inter-disciplinary collaborative project that represents the intersection of artistic and ecological processes. The installation is comprised of ceramic traffic cones and integrated graphic and textual representations of scientific and pseudoscientific approaches to chaparral fire ecology. Some of these cones are intended to be “chaparral fired” in the Southern California landscape thereby alluding to Orton pyrometric cones. Others are fired with a dusting of ash gathered from previous fires not only to emphasize the cyclical nature of fire in Southern California, but also reference the importance of ash glazes in the history of ceramic arts.

We learn from the example of the “tsunami stones” of Japan—inscribed slabs erected beyond the reach of previous catastrophic tides with warnings to the future: “Remember what happened here and do not make your homes below this point.” Art can mediate between people and nature. Our chaparral-fired ceramics can help calibrate human memory to natural processes.

Lee Middleman

Abora Vase-Jade, 2014

Stoneware

8”h x 13”w x 3.5”d

$312.50

I throw classic forms and use surface textures to give them energy and vitality, resulting in art that is both pleasing and alive. I seek to create patterns and textures that emphasize the organic interplay between order and randomness as found in Nature.

The tactile feel and visual look of surface textures are essential to my pieces. I create textures by deeply impressing patterns into thrown cylinders. Then, working from the inside only, I expand the cylinder to create the final form. This technique allows the pattern to evolve as the clay twists and expands. As the pattern adjusts to the shape and function of the vessel, it becomes reflective of Nature’s adaptation to form.

My glazing process enhances the natural aesthetic of the order and randomness. Thinly glazed surfaceshighlight the macropatterns and reveal the stoneware clay’s micro-texture created during the expansion process. I often use multiple glazes to intensify the dynamic tension of the surface.

My goal is to pursue the interplay of shape, surface texture, ordered patterns, and random effects so that work is created that intrigues the eye and demands to be touched. Although my work is functional, it is often prized as decorative.

Lee Middleman

Sunflower-Desert Series, 2013

Stoneware

6"h x 10"w x 10"d

$625

I throw classic forms and use surface textures to give them energy and vitality, resulting in art that is both pleasing and alive. I seek to create patterns and textures that emphasize the organic interplay between order and randomness as found in Nature.

The tactile feel and visual look of surface textures are essential to my pieces. I create textures by deeply impressing patterns into thrown cylinders. Then, working from the inside only, I expand the cylinder to create the final form. This technique allows the pattern to evolve as the clay twists and expands. As the pattern adjusts to the shape and function of the vessel, it becomes reflective of Nature’s adaptation to form.

My glazing process enhances the natural aesthetic of the order and randomness. Thinly glazed surfaceshighlight the macropatterns and reveal the stoneware clay’s micro-texture created during the expansion process. I often use multiple glazes to intensify the dynamic tension of the surface.

My goal is to pursue the interplay of shape, surface texture, ordered patterns, and random effects so that work is created that intrigues the eye and demands to be touched. Although my work is functional, it is often prized as decorative.

Lee Middleman

Strata Covered Jar-Desert Series, 2014

Stoneware

11"h x 8"w x 8"d

$437.50

I throw classic forms and use surface textures to give them energy and vitality, resulting in art that is both pleasing and alive. I seek to create patterns and textures that emphasize the organic interplay between order and randomness as found in Nature.

The tactile feel and visual look of surface textures are essential to my pieces. I create textures by deeply impressing patterns into thrown cylinders. Then, working from the inside only, I expand the cylinder to create the final form. This technique allows the pattern to evolve as the clay twists and expands. As the pattern adjusts to the shape and function of the vessel, it becomes reflective of Nature’s adaptation to form.

My glazing process enhances the natural aesthetic of the order and randomness. Thinly glazed surfaceshighlight the macropatterns and reveal the stoneware clay’s micro-texture created during the expansion process. I often use multiple glazes to intensify the dynamic tension of the surface.

My goal is to pursue the interplay of shape, surface texture, ordered patterns, and random effects so that work is created that intrigues the eye and demands to be touched. Although my work is functional, it is often prized as decorative.

Robert A Miller

Untitled, 2014

Ceramic Stoneware

11"h x 20"w x 4"d

$1,500

I’m a sculptor, potter who likes to mess with traditional ceramic forms and blended them with non- traditional elements and ideas. This body of work incorporates a combination of traditional thrown forms and abstracting them. I then use both traditional nod non-traditional techniques of overlapping glazes. The techniques range from high temperature to complex low fire luster glazes. I have recently been experimenting new technology such as blending ceramics with computer 3D design, and the use of 3D printing techniques.

I received my B.F.A from Otis Parsons Art Institute and a M.F.A from the University of California, Los Angeles. After I graduated I went to Japan as an Artist-in-Residence in Shigraki, Japan. Upon return from the orient I opened an art studio in Los Angeles. My work has been exhibited internationally and can be found in collections throughout the United States, Canada and Asia. I’m currently working on a commission that will be going to Istanbul Turkey. I have taught ceramics at the college and university level for over 15 years throughout Southern California. I have owned two galleries; Miller Fine art, and Miller Durazo Contemporary Artists Projects, which was designed to showcase young emerging talent. Currently, I hold the position of Associate Professor at Rio Hondo College and runs the art gallery and ceramic department.

Reiko Niwa Berg

Oribe Vase, 2014

Clay

11"h x 14"w x 14"d

$750

My ceramic design includes free form movement in clay that contains circular forms with mechanical strength and a flowing sense of movement. These mechanical shapes demonstrate strength and my focus is to elevate the clay static sculpture into a more free flowing design. I have an appreciation of art forms that include functional design. My focus has been to create ceramic art that can be used as vessels, containers, urns, water containers, bonsai pots and flower vases. These ceramic art pieces have been sculptured by beginning with a wheel for a basis, and then almost every piece has been hand sculptured to create my functional art pieces with a depth of color.

My vision and often my design work are inspired by my childhood, studying Sumie-e the 2000-year-old art form of Japanese ink brush painting. Monks practiced Sumi-e brush painting to train themselves in concentration, clarity and even spiritual intensity. The meditation aspects of Sume-e enhance the creative process.

John Palmer

Untitled #'s!q&76, 2012

Ceramic

3.5"h x 3"w x 3"d

$375

The diminutive stature of the work is chosen to create a sense of intimacy and protectiveness. Utilizing this invitation to intimacy I pierce, puncture, or otherwise open a form, implying a psychological interior, with the intention of pulling you closer. While I reference geological and biological entities, providing recognizable building blocks to a story, I intend the ambiguity of their relationships so as to provide the viewer room to participate in the sculpture’s interpretation, an experience in which the viewer steps into the gaps and participates in the object’s reason and meaning. Building on the relations amid intimacy, familiarity, and novelty I encourage artist, artifact, and audience into moments of play.

Carlos Ramirez

Little Blue, 2011

Ceramic, MDF, Acrylic Paint

25"h x 25"w x 20"d   $1,500

In my Crushing Nickels Into Quarters series, I draw from 1980s video games, Meso-American architecture, and Minimalism to make sculpture that refers to times of transition and change. I give material to the immaterial by using clay, creating monuments to the signposts in my life. Through this work, I seek to connect to others who have had similar experiences of great upheaval and change.

Carlos Ramirez

Red Tab, 2011

Ceramic, MDF, Acrylic Paint

20"h x 40"w x 20"d  $1,500

In my Crushing Nickels Into Quarters series, I draw from 1980s video games, Meso-American architecture, and Minimalism to make sculpture that refers to times of transition and change. I give material to the immaterial by using clay, creating monuments to the signposts in my life. Through this work, I seek to connect to others who have had similar experiences of great upheaval and change.

Heather Rosenman

Wonder Portal Vertex, 2014

Ceramic

6.5"h x 5.5"w x 2.5"d

NFS

The Mid Century movement emphasized minimalism by simplifying forms to their organic essence. Microscopic expressionism reveals shapes and patterns, such as the structure of diatoms, which complements this idea to me and looks otherworldly. My goal is to create artifacts that bridge the organic and man-made /the natural world and a speculative futuristic world.

Heather Rosenman

Wonder Portal Vertex, 2014

Ceramic

6.5"h x 5.5"w x 2.5"d

NFS

The Mid Century movement emphasized minimalism by simplifying forms to their organic essence. Microscopic expressionism reveals shapes and patterns, such as the structure of diatoms, which complements this idea to me and looks otherworldly. My goal is to create artifacts that bridge the organic and man-made /the natural world and a speculative futuristic world.

Heather Rosenman

Magma, Wonder Portal, 2013

Ceramic

13"h x 10.5"w x 5"d

$2,000

The Mid Century movement emphasized minimalism by simplifying forms to their organic essence. Microscopic expressionism reveals shapes and patterns, such as the structure of diatoms, which complements this idea to me and looks otherworldly. My goal is to create artifacts that bridge the organic and man-made /the natural world and a speculative futuristic world.

Heather Rosenman

Magma, Wonder Portal, 2013

Ceramic

13"h x 10.5"w x 5"d

$2,000

The Mid Century movement emphasized minimalism by simplifying forms to their organic essence. Microscopic expressionism reveals shapes and patterns, such as the structure of diatoms, which complements this idea to me and looks otherworldly. My goal is to create artifacts that bridge the organic and man-made /the natural world and a speculative futuristic world.

Heather Rosenman

Monad Viewer, Contraptionology, 2013

Ceramic

16"h x 19"w x 5"d

$2,2508

The Mid Century movement emphasized minimalism by simplifying forms to their organic essence. Microscopic expressionism reveals shapes and patterns, such as the structure of diatoms, which complements this idea to me and looks otherworldly. My goal is to create artifacts that bridge the organic and man-made /the natural world and a speculative futuristic world.

Heather Rosenman

Monad Viewer, Contraptionology, 2013

Ceramic

16"h x 19"w x 5"d

$2,2508

The Mid Century movement emphasized minimalism by simplifying forms to their organic essence. Microscopic expressionism reveals shapes and patterns, such as the structure of diatoms, which complements this idea to me and looks otherworldly. My goal is to create artifacts that bridge the organic and man-made /the natural world and a speculative futuristic world.

Chris Sanders

Diverse Verdant Community, 2014

Ceramic

18"h x 17"w x 15"d

$625

My sculptures are about relationships: person to person, person to society, person to the earth and its environs. Some of the work represents the feelings churning within us that are seldom shared with others. A new body of work, in development, explores the importance of diversity in a community. In the world, and even in our own country, there is so much anger and strife created by single minded groups endeavoring to impose their beliefs and life styles on those around them. Yet, it seems that our greatest strength comes from the blending of cultures, life styles and genetic codes. These pieces bring together diverse forms, textures and colors to produce a unified sculpture greater than the sum of its parts.

Dina Sonabend Finzi

Crocus I, 2014

Hand Carved, High Fired Porcelain

4.5"h x 6.5"w x 6.5"d

$375

I have been inspired by organic forms and contour lines throughout my artistic life. I love their sensuality and femininity. I always return to these elements whenever I go off in other directions with my clay work. They are my roots in both two dimensional and three dimensional forms. My pots are three dimensional drawings whose subjects are usually plants in my garden. I have a strong connection to my garden as I raise the plants, often from seeds, and care for them through the seasons of their lives. I draw and photograph them at all stages.I work in porcelain on the potters wheel. Its smooth surface compliments the organic forms I favor. I derive great satisfaction from drawing onto and carving into a porcelain surface. I can anticipate how the glazes will help to enhance the piece by pooling and flowing over the pot. This anticipation is like a fluid dance in my mind. I always look forward to working on my next piece and incorporating new ideas.

Dina Sonabend Finzi

Crocus II, 2014

Hand Carved, High Fired Porcelain

4.5"h x 6.5"w x 6.5"d

$375

I have been inspired by organic forms and contour lines throughout my artistic life. I love their sensuality and femininity. I always return to these elements whenever I go off in other directions with my clay work. They are my roots in both two dimensional and three dimensional forms. My pots are three dimensional drawings whose subjects are usually plants in my garden. I have a strong connection to my garden as I raise the plants, often from seeds, and care for them through the seasons of their lives. I draw and photograph them at all stages.I work in porcelain on the potters wheel. Its smooth surface compliments the organic forms I favor. I derive great satisfaction from drawing onto and carving into a porcelain surface. I can anticipate how the glazes will help to enhance the piece by pooling and flowing over the pot. This anticipation is like a fluid dance in my mind. I always look forward to working on my next piece and incorporating new ideas.

Dino Sophia

Untitled, 2013

Earthenware, Undeglaze, Ceramic Decal

8.5"h x 10.25"w x 4.5"d  NFS

I am obsessed with letters and numbers for their abstract qualities -- not necessarily spelling out anything. They are timeless suggesting a palimpsest, a prayer, a whisper, a mantra. My forms are simple and sculptural giving a nod to their utilitarian ancestors.

Ming-Hwei Carol Sun

Too Small!, 2013

Thrown & Hand Built Porcelain

Acrylic on Canvas

48"h x 144"w x 3"d

$3,750

With my experience as a programmer and an artist, my art work focused toward software technology and technology vs. nature as the topics I would like to explore. Emotionally, I want to break away from technology or software related objects, but use languages and culture to express nature and humanity. Therefore I use ceramic as the material in my art work. I found the style I most related with is installations with simple form and color, but roughly repetitive with decorations and geometric patterns, which falls into post-minimalism style. To bring the sense of technology and not forgetting about the nature and the environment, most of my works are in earth tones or with the colors and shapes that reference historical objects. Since not until the modern era had ceramics began to be considered art or materials for installation, it is one of the benefits of using ceramics to create unique modern art. The style and the aesthetic of ceramic can be combined with traditional and modern elements in a dramatic and settled in a way taking the advantage of the gap between modern art making and the traditions.

Ming-Hwei Carol Sun

Too Small!, 2013

Thrown & Hand Built Porcelain

Acrylic on Canvas

48"h x 144"w x 3"d

$3,750

With my experience as a programmer and an artist, my art work focused toward software technology and technology vs. nature as the topics I would like to explore. Emotionally, I want to break away from technology or software related objects, but use languages and culture to express nature and humanity. Therefore I use ceramic as the material in my art work. I found the style I most related with is installations with simple form and color, but roughly repetitive with decorations and geometric patterns, which falls into post-minimalism style. To bring the sense of technology and not forgetting about the nature and the environment, most of my works are in earth tones or with the colors and shapes that reference historical objects. Since not until the modern era had ceramics began to be considered art or materials for installation, it is one of the benefits of using ceramics to create unique modern art. The style and the aesthetic of ceramic can be combined with traditional and modern elements in a dramatic and settled in a way taking the advantage of the gap between modern art making and the traditions.

Cecilia Torres

Ampersand Two, 2013

Steve's White Low-fire Clay, Metal Coating and Pating

9.5"h x 14"w x 4"d

$500

"There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun."

- Picasso

This is a favorite quote of mine, which also defines my journey as a ceramicist: the yearning for that sun: the visual solution in clay. I am deeply aware of my Pacific Islander background from the island of Guahan (Guam), and explore the history, myths, legends, and traditions of the island. I remember watching an Oceania segment on TV where it was mentioned that there is no word for art. I realize that my particular island is hit by typhoons and much can be destroyed. Guam is known for its weaving and carving, is there not art in these pursuits? Then I read recently that there is no word in Oceania (Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia) because an “artifact” is a Western concept. Painting, sculpture, carving, weaving and maybe even tattoos are actually an integral part of social and and religious aspects of daily island life.

That’s how I would like to create in clay. Not working in a medium as special projects, but because the imagery is part of my personal story, something I see every day. Maybe the clay journey incorporates function and form and selects from my past and present. I make what’s in my head because I don’t see the same experience elsewhere. The great designer Massimo Vignelli was quoted as saying, “lf you do it right it will last forever.” Maybe the clay piece I make may not last, but the thought that once it existed will last forever.

Cecilia Torres

Ampersand Two, 2013

Steve's White Low-fire Clay, Metal Coating and Pating

9.5"h x 14"w x 4"d

$500

"There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun."

- Picasso

This is a favorite quote of mine, which also defines my journey as a ceramicist: the yearning for that sun: the visual solution in clay. I am deeply aware of my Pacific Islander background from the island of Guahan (Guam), and explore the history, myths, legends, and traditions of the island. I remember watching an Oceania segment on TV where it was mentioned that there is no word for art. I realize that my particular island is hit by typhoons and much can be destroyed. Guam is known for its weaving and carving, is there not art in these pursuits? Then I read recently that there is no word in Oceania (Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia) because an “artifact” is a Western concept. Painting, sculpture, carving, weaving and maybe even tattoos are actually an integral part of social and and religious aspects of daily island life.

That’s how I would like to create in clay. Not working in a medium as special projects, but because the imagery is part of my personal story, something I see every day. Maybe the clay journey incorporates function and form and selects from my past and present. I make what’s in my head because I don’t see the same experience elsewhere. The great designer Massimo Vignelli was quoted as saying, “lf you do it right it will last forever.” Maybe the clay piece I make may not last, but the thought that once it existed will last forever.

Marinna Wagner

Horizontal Fold, 2014

Porcelain and Rio Red Ceramic

5"h x 15"w x 11"d

$1,187.50

The ceramic pieces are made using an old Japanese technique called neriage or nerikomi, in which different colored clay bodies are layered to build a grid pattern. The grid is distorted as the clay slab is laid over an armature that holds its drapery-like form. The two natural colored clay bodies are unglazed and un-pigmented. Consequently, the pushing and pulling of the grid is not a skin on the exterior, but rather visual evidence of the physical distortions of the clay itself. The marbled folds are reminiscent of Devonian colored sandstone and Hungarian red nodular limestone statues from the Romanesque period. The folds recall cloth adorning an absent body, or the topology of an undulating landscape.

The ceramic bowl is made through the same process of nerikomi, yet because it is a pinch pot it links back to the most ancient methods of creating a vessel. The exterior unglazed black and white clay bodies are combined with a deep blue glazed interior to reference the detail and color scheme of Oriental pottery.

Marinna Wagner

Vertical Fold, 2014

Rio Red and Vegas Buff Ceramic

9"h x 11"w x 5"d

$937.50

The ceramic pieces are made using an old Japanese technique called neriage or nerikomi, in which different colored clay bodies are layered to build a grid pattern. The grid is distorted as the clay slab is laid over an armature that holds its drapery-like form. The two natural colored clay bodies are unglazed and un-pigmented. Consequently, the pushing and pulling of the grid is not a skin on the exterior, but rather visual evidence of the physical distortions of the clay itself. The marbled folds are reminiscent of Devonian colored sandstone and Hungarian red nodular limestone statues from the Romanesque period. The folds recall cloth adorning an absent body, or the topology of an undulating landscape.

The ceramic bowl is made through the same process of nerikomi, yet because it is a pinch pot it links back to the most ancient methods of creating a vessel. The exterior unglazed black and white clay bodies are combined with a deep blue glazed interior to reference the detail and color scheme of Oriental pottery.

Peter Wolf

Post-Post Modern, 2014

Ceramic & Paper

5.5"h x 9.5"w x 9.5"d

NFS

My current series explores our culture from the viewpoint of an archeologist examining the remains of a civilization long since gone. What story does it tell? It’s a question I often ask myself when I view the ruins of previous cultures, or even each time I empty the trash. I often wonder, “What would they find, and how would these artifacts be interpreted?”

I hope in these pieces to start a conversation about who were are, what we value, and what we leave behind.

As a ceramic artist, I strive to push the edge of clays possibilities as a medium. Much of my inspiration comes from nature, and this series was the result of exploring Hawaii’s lava fields. I experimented with a variety of clays and texturing techniques, as well as unusual glaze materials, to achieve the effects you see here. Hopefully, viewing these pieces will allow you to reflect on your own lives and how our present culture will be perceived by future generations.